Pro-Palestinian college protests have been making headlines recently as administrations take action to break up demonstrations and manage the unrest on their campuses.
In May, Intelligent.com surveyed 763 current full-time U.S. college students to understand how they feel about the pro-Palestinian protests happening on college campuses.
What we found:
- 55% of college students say there are pro-Palestinian protests on their campus
- 65% of students are very supportive (36%) or somewhat supportive (29%) of the protests happening on college campuses
- The plurality of students (31%) say TikTok is the primary place they’ve learned about the Israel-Palestine conflict
- More than one-third of protest supporters are in favor of the use of violence and hate speech
- More than half of protest supporters say they sympathize with Hamas
- 1 in 10 protestors admit to having an unfavorable opinion of Jewish people
- 9% of college students don’t believe Israel has the right to exist; 19% are unsure, and 71% say it does
Nearly Two-Thirds of College Students Support The Protests
More than half (55%) of college students say they have pro-Palestinian protests on their campus, and the majority (84%) say they understand completely (45%) or a little (39%) why students are engaging in pro-Palestinian protests.
However, the plurality of students (31%) say TikTok is the primary place they’ve learned about the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of college students surveyed say they are very supportive (36%) or somewhat supportive (29%) of the pro-Palestinian protests, while 24% are unsure. In contrast, 11% are somewhat opposed (5%) or very opposed (6%).
When asked why they support the pro-Palestinian protests, students offered a range of answers, including:
- “I believe it is our fundamental right to fight for the freedom of the Palestinian people. I think what Israel is doing right now is genocide. They are killing innocent people because of the resistance Hamas has been giving. FREE FREE PALESTINE.”
- “I think it’s a good cause.”
- “People have a right to assemble and have their voices heard. I’m not sure of the debate’s specifics, but I’m against war in general and wish them well for their cause.”
- “I don’t know much about it.”
- “I support all protests, and these ones are good for raising awareness, even if they don’t really ‘solve’ anything. People are trying to help, and that’s admirable.”
- “It’s been about 70 years of genocide from Israel; it was never self-defense as they mostly target children and babies.”
- “No one should be forced out of their homes over zionists.”
- “I think that Palestine hasn’t done anything wrong, homes are getting destroyed. I don’t know much about it, but I know a little bit.”
- “I’m supportive of the Pro-Palestine protests because I don’t believe innocent people have to suffer for a group of individuals. The Israel [sic] government, along with those who are zionists (not all Jews), are committing a crime amongst those that are in Gaza. Their goal has been made clear that their goal is to eradicate those who are Palestinian and in Gaza. The U.S. shouldn’t be supporting these actions, but they are because they care more about money than lives. A big portion of the U.S. doesn’t stand with our government, which is why they need to get their attention. We are tired of older men/women deciding for us, the people of the U.S.”
- “Because I love to support something that is political.”
- Of those who support the protests, less than half have actually participated; 43% of protest supporters have participated in a pro-Palestinian protest.
More than 1 in 3 supporters are in favor of protestors engaging in violent acts
Of students who are supportive of the pro-Palestinian protests, 75% support the use of encampments, 45% support blocking students from attending classes, and 38% support the cancelation of graduation ceremonies.
Additionally, 36% say they support protestors engaging in violent acts, and 35% support protestors using hate speech.
The plurality of college students say the protests have increased their support for the Palestinian cause (36%), while 46% say the demonstrations haven’t changed their level of support, and 17% say they lessened it.
More Than Half of Protestors Supports Sympathize With Hamas
Overall, 40% of students say they sympathize with Hamas a lot (17%) or a little (24%), while 33% say they don’t at all, and 27% are unsure.
Sympathy for Hamas is higher among those who are supportive of the protests (51% sympathize a lot (23%) or a little (28%)) and particularly those who have engaged in the protests (63% sympathize a lot (33%) or a little (30%)).
1 in 10 Protestors Admit They Have an Unfavorable Opinion of Jewish People
Of students who support the protests, 8% say they have a somewhat unfavorable (5%) or very unfavorable (3%) opinion of Jewish people, while 39% say they have on opinion. On the other hand, 29% say they have a very favorable opinion, and 22% have a somewhat favorable opinion of Jewish people.
When looking at students who are actually engaged in the protests, a higher number admit they have an unfavorable opinion of Jewish people; 6% say they have a somewhat unfavorable opinion, while 5% say they have a very unfavorable opinion.
In contrast, of students who oppose the protest, 4% say they have a somewhat unfavorable (3%) or very unfavorable (1%) opinion of Jewish people.
The majority (71%) of college students say they believe Israel has the right to exist. In contrast, 9% say it doesn’t, while 19% are unsure.
Students who support the protests, particularly those who’ve engaged in the protest, were more likely to say they don’t believe Israel has the right to exist. Of those who have participated in protests, 15% don’t believe Israel has the right to exist.
1 in 5 Students Oppose Consequences for Protestors Who Break The Law
Students somewhat oppose (9%) or very much oppose (9%) punishment for student protestors who break the law, while 36% somewhat support and 24% very much support consequences; 22% are unsure.
Further, 21% of students somewhat oppose (13%) or very much oppose (8%) punishment for student protestors who violate school policy, while 30% somewhat support and 25% very much support consequences; 24% are unsure.
Overall, 4% of students say they don’t feel very safe on campus.
Methodology
This online poll was commissioned by Intelligent.com and conducted on SurveyMonkey Audience from May 1, 2024 to May 2, 2024. In total, 763 current full-time U.S. college students ages 18 to 24 completed the survey. Respondents consist of a national sample that was randomly selected from a U.S. panel. The survey was census balanced for gender (male, female) and U.S. regions (Northeast, Midwest, West, South). Questions can be directed to [email protected].
Survey questions:
What is your age?
Under 18
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
54+
Are you currently enrolled in college?
Yes, part-time
Yes, full-time
No, I’m not enrolled in college
Do you have pro-Palestine protests on your college campus?
Yes
No
Not sure
What is the primary place you’ve learned about the Israel-Palestine conflict?
Professors
Academic papers/books
Documentaries
TikTok
Youtube
Instagram
Friends/Family
Televised news (Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, etc.)
Newspaper articles (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Vox, etc.)
Other
I haven’t learned anything about the conflict
How well do you understand why students are engaging in pro-Palestine protests?
Understand completely
Understand a little
Don’t really understand
Don’t understand at all
How supportive or opposed are you to the pro-Palestine protests on college campuses?
Very supportive
Somewhat supportive
Not sure
Somewhat opposed
Very opposed
Why are you supportive of the pro-Palestine protests? [open-ended]
Have you participated in any pro-Palestine protests on a college campus?
I have
I have NOT
How supportive or opposed are you to the use of tent encampments as a means of protesting?
Very supportive
Somewhat supportive
Not sure
Somewhat opposed
Very opposed
How supportive or opposed are you to blocking students from attending classes as a means of protesting?
Very supportive
Somewhat supportive
Not sure
Somewhat opposed
Very opposed
How supportive or opposed are you to graduation ceremonies being canceled due to the protests?
Very supportive
Somewhat supportive
Not sure
Somewhat opposed
Very opposed
How supportive or opposed are you to pro-Palestine protestors engaging in violent acts?
Very supportive
Somewhat supportive
Not sure
Somewhat opposed
Very opposed
How supportive or opposed are you to pro-Palestine protestors engaging in hate speech?
Very supportive
Somewhat supportive
Not sure
Somewhat opposed
Very opposed
How have the protests impacted your support of the Palestinian cause?
Increased my support for the Palestinian cause
Did not change my level of support
Lessened my support for the Palestinian cause
Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Jewish people?
Very favorable
Somewhat favorable
No opinion
Somewhat unfavorable
Very unfavorable
Prefer not to say
Do you believe that Israel has the right to exist?
Definitely
Probably
Not sure
Probably not
Definitely not
How much do you sympathize with… [Matrix table: A lot, A little, Not at all, Not sure]
Hamas
Israeli government
Palestinian civilians
Israeli civilians
In the past month, how safe have you felt on campus?
Very safe
Somewhat safe
Not sure
Not very safe
Not safe at all
How supportive or opposed are you to punishment for student protestors who break the law?
Very supportive
Somewhat supportive
Not sure
Somewhat opposed
Very opposed
How supportive or opposed are you to punishment for student protestors who violate school policy?
Very supportive
Somewhat supportive
Not sure
Somewhat opposed
Very opposed